Down Below

Down Below is a main mission in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Read on for a complete walkthrough of Down Below, as well as the rewards for completing the mission.

◄ Previous Mission	Next Mission ▶
The Road to the Foundation	The Last Wish

List of Contents

• Walkthrough
• Rewards
• Overview
• Related Guides

Down Below Walkthrough (Strelok Ending Route)

Notice from Game8	The following Down Below walkthrough is only for the Strelok Ending Route. Stay tuned as we update the walkthrough with the other Down Below ending routes!
List of Objectives	-
1	Rendezvous with Your Allies
2	Eliminate Warden Troops
3	Search the Bodies
4	Find the Tunnel Leading to the Foundation
5	Get to the Foundation
6	Talk to Col. Degtyarev
7	Kill Korshunov and His Troops
8	Take Faust's Pendant and Go to the Control Unit
9	Get the Armor
10	Go to the Red Forest with Richter

Rendezvous with Your Allies

Rendezvous Points	-
Polissya Hotel	Olympia Cafe

Rendezvous at Polissya Hotel

Go to the Polissya Hotel in Prypiat. Proceed with caution as the hotel will be swarming with Warden soldiers.

Unfortunately, your allies will already be dead on arrival, so you'll have to face all these soldiers on your own.

Prypiat Region Guide

Rendezvous at Olympia Cafe

An alternate objective would be to rendezvous at Olympia Cafe. Similar to Polissya Hotel, the cafe will be heavily guarded by Warden soldiers and your allies have already been killed by them.

Eliminate Warden Troops at Polissya Hotel or Olympia Cafe

Kill all Warden Troops at Polissya Hotel or Olympia Cafe (whichever place was assigned to you).

Since this segment will mostly be close-quarters combat, a Shotgun is the most preferable choice of weapon to engage them. You can also use grenades to flush out the soldiers hiding behind corners.

List of All Weapons and Guns

Search the Bodies

Search one of the dead bodies to acquire a Tunnel Entrance Key Card. The body that you should be searching for will be marked on your compass.

Find the Tunnel Leading to the Foundation

Tunnel Locations	-
Polissya Hotel	Olympia Cafe

Via Polissya Hotel

For players who went to Polissya Hotel, go behind the building where you fought the Wardens. Use the Tunnel Entrance Key Card on the card terminal to unlock the door.

Continuing down the tunnels that leads to the Foundation marks the point of no return. You won't be able to return to the Zone until you finish this mission (and the two that follow), and all your ongoing side missions will also be cancelled.

All Missables and Points of No Return

Via Olympia Cafe

For players who went to the Olympia Cafe, the tunnel leading to the foundation is located in the basement of the cafe (marked on your compass). Swipe the Tunnel Entrance Key Card on the card terminal to unlock the tunnel.

Going through this tunnel also marks the point of no return, and you won't be able to return to the Zone until you finish the mission, as well as the two succeeding missions that follow. All your ongoing side missions will also be cancelled.

Get to the Foundation

Tunnel Routes	-
Polissya Hotel Tunnel	Olympia Cafe Tunnel

Polissya Hotel Tunnel Route

1	Jump down the sewage system and open your flashlight to light up the dark path ahead. Be prepared to fight Bayuns along the way.
2	Next, drop down from one pipe to another. There will be four paths that you can enter at the bottom of the pit. Go through the path to the west.
3	Rats will suddenly appear out of nowhere. You can use grenades to deal with them before moving forward.
4	Keep following the path until you reach a ladder. Climb up the ladder to reach a subway system.
5	Go to the other end of the subway system and enter the room on the left side. Once inside, press the red button to open the locked door.
6	There will be multiple anomalies and zombies in this room. Drop down the catwalk and follow your waypoint that will lead you to another room on the other side.
7	Climb up the first set of stairs that you'll see. This will lead you to the control room.
8	Once in the control room, kill the Controller at the balcony outside. Afterward, flip the switch on the circuit breaker.
9	Leave the room via the balcony where you killed the Controller. Drop down and head west towards the end of the tunnel.
10	Climb up the boxes to reach the ventilation shaft on the second level.
11	Drop down the pipes and follow your waypoint. This will lead you to an office area and eventually the entrance to the Foundation.

Olympia Cafe Tunnel Route

1	Enter the tunnels and immediately turn right towards a large fan. Go near the fan and climb down the ladder.
2	Next, you'll have to time your sprint to avoid getting hit by the blades of the fan. After successfully getting through it, climb up the ladder.
3	From the ladder, turn right and then jump all the way down to the bottom. You will not die from falling since the air from the ventilation shaft will break your fall.
4	Navigate through the hallways until you reach an atrium. Climb down the first ladder that you'll see.
5	Move along the catwalk while fighting Monolith soldiers. Once you reach the end of the catwalk, drop down to the lower level.
6	Enter the room ahead and flip the switch at the control panel.
7	Leave the control panel room and turn right. Defeat another wave of Monolith soldiers while moving across the catwalk and then climb up the ladder at the end, surrounded by green toxic smoke.
8	Turn left and fight your way again towards a small outpost.
9	Go inside and flip the switch on the circuit breaker.
10	Leave the room and turn left. Move forward and enter another outpost entrance on the left side. Jump through the window and climb down the set of stairs.
11	Feel free to resupply with medkits and bandages before moving off to the next area where you'll meet Col. Degtyarev at the Foundation entrance.

Talk to Col. Degtyarev

After trekking through the horrors of the tunnels, speak to Col. Degtyarev at the hallway leading to the Foundation to trigger a cutscene.

Kill Korshunov and His Troops

Enter the lab and kill Colonel Korshunov and his troops. Korshunov will be wearing a highly durable armor, the Exoskeleton, so you'll have to shoot his head to destroy his shield and stun him. Once he's stunned, approach him to trigger a short melee cutscene. You will have to do this twice. Repeat the same process again to finally put him out of his misery.

Take Faust's Pendant and Return to the Control Unit

After killing Colonel Korshunov, get Faust's Pendant from the Colonel's dead body. Afterward, head back up to the Control Unit and talk to Dr. Dalin who can be seen cowering behind a computer terminal.

Get the Armor

Talk to Strelok in the Energetik Palace of Culture and then take the X7 Suit armor from the safe nearby.

How to Get the X7 Suit and Stats

Go to the Red Forest with Richter

Speak to Richter and tell him you're ready to leave. Afterward, you will immediately arrive at the Red Forest.

At this point, the Down Below mission will end and the succeeding mission will depend on which ending route you've taken:

Ending	Next Mission
Strelok and Kaymanov Ending	The Last Wish
Ward Ending	Eye of the Storm
Spark Ending	Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Red Forest Region Guide

Down Below Rewards

Mission Rewards

Rewards	-
Strelok or Kaymanov Routes:・Sotnyk (found at the table behind Strelok)・X7 Suit (obtained from the safe beside Strelok)	-

Down Below Overview

Location and Mission Info

Down Below Mission Info	-
Starting Location	-
Quest Giver	Starts immediately after The Road to the Foundation